Keep On Enduring

Transcript

GR 1387
11/23/2008
Keep on Enduring
II Timothy 2:11-13
Gil Rugh


I invite you to turn in your Bibles to II Timothy 2, Paul's second letter to Timothy. We've been studying this letter of Paul to Timothy, written by Paul from prison in Rome and he is awaiting what he is certain will be his execution. And he is writing to encourage and challenge Timothy to be faithful to Christ, to the gospel and to Paul as the one who has set an example for Timothy to follow in carrying on the ministry of God's truth. It is of utmost importance that Timothy grasps the importance of stepping forward with confidence and boldness in being identified with Christ. These are difficult times for ministry for Timothy. Believers are being persecuted; they are being sentenced to death, Paul being the outstanding example. Nero has made Christianity an outlaw religion. Very difficult times.

In chapter 1 verse 7 Paul reminded Timothy, God has not given us a spirit of timidity, of cowardice. Then he begins what is this section we've been going through with verse 8 and it will run down through verse 13 of chapter 2. The key emphasis in this section is join with me in suffering. That command was given in the middle of verse 8 in chapter 1, join with me in suffering. It was repeated down in chapter 2 verse 3, suffer hardship with me. Same command. Join in suffering with me. The other side of that, the negative side—don’t be ashamed. That command was given in verse 8, do not be ashamed. And Paul reminded him that he had not been ashamed, I have not been ashamed, and Onesiphorus has not been ashamed. Timothy, don't you be ashamed. God has not given us a spirit of timidity, cowardice, to shrink back. You step forward boldly. It’s easy to study these things. We live in a relatively calm environment; our lives are not threatened because of our testimony for Christ. But stop and think about it, how many people have you openly, clearly shared the gospel with in the last week? We have hundreds of thousands of people on our doorsteps that are lost and without hope, on their way to an eternal hell. Stop and think, how many people did I talk to? Why not? Was I ashamed? Was I afraid? Was I too timid? Was I a coward? Paul is not primarily thinking that Timothy is going to turn and run away and hide, but he might develop that fear of being open and bold with his testimony for Christ. In effect he would become ashamed and afraid of suffering if he is too open and too bold in his testimony with the gospel.

So Paul is reminding Timothy. So down in chapter 2 verse 8 he tells him to remember. Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, descendant of David according to my gospel. Remember the gospel, Timothy. This is what God planned in eternity past. And he mentioned this in chapter 1 verse 9, it was granted to us in Christ Jesus from all eternity. This is God's plan, His only plan; it was established before the creation. This was His plan of redemption for sinful people. And Christ came to earth and accomplished what no one else could by His death and resurrection. He paid the penalty for sin so that those who believe in Him can be cleansed, forgiven, and made new. Timothy, don't you forget Jesus Christ. Well how could Timothy forget? He's been in the ministry for 17-18 years, he's traveled the world with Paul, and he’s been in the most difficult of situations. And you tell me to remember Jesus Christ? Paul is concerned, the race is not over, and the battle is not done. How easy it is for us just to pull into ourselves, to become less bold, less open. And another way of saying that we are ashamed, we are embarrassed to be identified with Christ. We are afraid of the suffering it might bring. So Timothy, you remember Jesus Christ, remember the gospel.

This is why I suffer, chapter 2 verse 9, because of the gospel. I've suffered hardship, even to imprisonment as a criminal. Remember that word criminal, it means the vilest, worst kind of person. But the word of God is not imprisoned. No matter what happens to me, no matter what my situation, the Word of God continues to go out, it goes forth. It is still going out from Paul. Little did he know that 2000 years later believers would be gathered to hear what the Spirit was saying through the Apostle Paul? He is not a man parked, shriveling up, thinking they are going to cut off my head any day now. What a terrible end. His ministry is not over because they haven't cut off his head yet. So the Word of God continues to go out freely.

And that's why I endure all things, he says in verse 10. Take note of that word endure, it's the central theme in verses 11-13, which will wrap up this section. Endure, endure. I endure all things for the sake of the elect, those that God has chosen, so that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus and with it eternal glory. That's the salvation God has promised, and it will climax, come to its fullness when we are gathered in the presence of His glory for all eternity.

These are serious matters. Paul is writing to one who perhaps was his closest companion in ministry. And yet he is writing to him with seriousness and firmness. There are about 14 commands given in chapter 2 alone. I mean, this is serious business, Timothy; it is no time for sentimental thoughts and feelings. You have to step up and suffer hardship. Does Paul want to see Timothy endure the pain and heartache that he has endured? Yes, he does, because Paul says there is no other way to be faithful to Jesus Christ and faithful to the gospel in this sin-cursed world except to be willing to suffer and be ready to endure. That word endure, compound word, to live under the pressure. That's what he's going to tell him.

So he's ready to wrap up this section. In verses 11-13, what you have is a concise summary of biblical truth concerning the gospel, concerning our responsibility as God's people. It's a poetic form or rhythmic kind of form that is used. Some believe it may be a part of a hymn that they used. Ephesians and Colossians instruct the believers to be speaking to one another in hymns and psalms and spiritual songs. Some would say this is probably one of those hymns, or part of one. If so you'll see a lot of biblical truth packed into a short space here. Some would say maybe it's a confession of faith. You know everybody didn't get to have their own copy of the Bible in those days, so this might have been one of those summary statements of the faith that identifies genuine believers that they could readily commit to memory and use to remind themselves. We don't know. It fits what Paul is saying here, he may have written it just for this occasion because it draws together what he has been saying in this section that began back in chapter 1 verse 8 and now wraps up as he challenges him basically to endure, keep on.

It starts out by saying in verse 11 of chapter 2; it is a trustworthy statement, a faithful word. This expression a trustworthy statement is used five times in the New Testament, all in the Pastoral Epistles—three times in I Timothy, one time here in
II Timothy and one time in Titus. Now the statement is not exactly the same in every place, but that introductory formula, this is a trustworthy statement, a faithful statement, a true statement, if you will. Denotes something that is worthy of careful consideration. It comes with authority. And you need to take it to heart and if you grasp the truth in these verses you will grasp God's plan for us as His people. And you will grasp the warning for those who are not His people.

So let's walk through the statements here, these are conditional statements. In Greek they call them first class conditions. It assumes the reality of something. If we died with Him, and we assume that's true. Not that every single person is included there, but for those who have died with Him, they will also live with Him. It's also true, if we deny Him, down in verse 12, He will deny us. Paul is not saying that Timothy or he will deny Him, but it is a true statement that those who deny Him will be denied by Christ also.

We pick up with the first statement, if we died with Him, we will also live with Him. So you see each of these will follow, if this is so then this is the result. Except when you get to the fourth statement it breaks that pattern. If we died with Him, we will also live with Him. That preposition for, I take it connects to what Paul has been saying, particularly in verses 8-10, which in the Greek text are one long sentence. Regarding endurance, remembering Jesus Christ, remember my example in suffering hardship. This is why I endure, Timothy, carrying out my responsibility in light of God's eternal plan of salvation. Now here is a summary conclusion of this.

If we died with Him we will live with Him. This first statement is basically identical to what is said in Romans 6:8, now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with Him. Basically says the same thing. What you have in Romans 6 is a full elaboration and development of that simple statement, if we died with Him we will live with Him. Now the focal point where Paul goes with it in Romans 6 is a little different. But foundational to everything in the Christian life is the fact that when you place your faith in Christ as your Savior, you are identified with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection. That has broken the power and authority of sin over you, of Satan over you and so on. It has also given you new life, eternal life, life which will come to its fullness when you are glorified in the presence of the God of glory. So the statement I just quoted you is found in Romans 6:8, now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him. And that's what Paul has unfolded in these first 8 verses.

He asks the question as the chapter began, shall we continue in sin that grace might increase? Without going into the details that carries over out of the end of the previous chapter, he says may it never be. How shall we who died to sin continue to live in it? So you see here the foundation. In Christ if you are truly saved, you've truly come to recognize your sin and guilt before God, repented of that sin and turned to Christ, trusting Him alone, you were identified with Christ in His death. How could you go on to live the same kind of life? It's not possible. Biblical salvation not only cleanses you from sin, rescues you from hell, but it makes you new. You don't live like you used to live.

So he goes on to explain it, do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death. He's not talking about water baptism here. We'll see a parallel passage that makes that very clear as well. He's talking about the baptism of the Spirit. I Corinthians 12:13, for by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body. It's not water baptism, its Spirit baptism. That's what spiritually identifies a person with Christ when they place their faith in Him. We have been baptized into His death, therefore we've been buried with Him through baptism into death so that Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father so we, too, might walk in newness of life. You see that connection? You died with Him, now you have new life. Everyone who dies with Christ has new life. A person who says, I trusted Christ, but their life is still lived in the old sinful ways has never experienced biblical salvation. The salvation God brings transforms us for time and eternity.

Verse 6 tells us our old self, our old man was crucified with Him. And the result is we are no longer slaves to sin, the end of verse 6. For he who has died is freed from sin. Now if we have died with Christ we believe we shall also live with Him. Verse 11 even so consider yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. And on down through the rest of the chapter he develops the implications of that.

Turn over to Galatians 2:15, we are Jews by nature. Paul is a Jew. We are Jews by nature and not sinners from among the Gentiles. You see the Jews had no problem in thinking Gentiles needed to get saved, needed salvation from sin because the Gentiles were dirty, filthy, polluted, unacceptable before God. But we are Jews; we don't need to be saved. Paul says that is not the case. Verse 16, nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law. You understand the Ten Commandments are part of the law. You can't become righteous by keeping the Ten Commandments, any more than any other part of the law. A man is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Christ Jesus. Even we, referring to us Jews, have believed in Christ Jesus so that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, since by works of the law no flesh will be justified.

Come down to verse 20, I have been crucified with Christ. And there we are, if we have died with Him, Paul's statement. I have been crucified with Christ and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. The life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself up for me. So you see if we have died with Him we will live with Him. I have been crucified with Christ and I live. Not me, but Christ is living in me because I have new life. I'm not the old person I used to be. And that transforms every part of my being. That's why a Christian lives a different life. We don't live a different life to get saved, to become acceptable to God. We live a different life because we died, we are a new person, and Christ is living in us. You tell me that person can continue to live the way they used to live, be what they used to be when it's Christ living His life in us? That's our new life, that's what it means. If we died with Him, we live with Him.

Turn over to Colossians 2:9, for in Him, referring to Christ, all the fullness of deity dwells in bodily form. Remarkable statement. Jesus Christ was fully God and fully man. All the fullness of deity dwells in that physical body. And in Him you have been made complete, verse 10. Verse 11, in Him you were also circumcised. But he's not talking about physical circumcision. You were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, spiritual removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ. So you see sin removed. That's what he's talking about in Romans 6. Now you'll note the next statement, verse 12, having been buried with Him in baptism. We're not talking about physical baptism anymore than we were talking about physical circumcision. The spiritual work of God in which you are also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God who raised Him from the dead. You were dead in your transgressions; He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven all your transgressions. Remarkable. You see, you were dead in your sin, your transgressions. He made you alive together with Christ. Why? Because you died with Christ. The penalty for sin is death. This is the great misunderstanding in the religions of the world. People think the penalty for their sin is doing better, joining a church, becoming part of a religious system, getting baptized, partaking of sacraments. The penalty for sin is death, death. That's it. Good works can't get it. I try to keep the Ten Commandments and be a good person. The penalty is death. I have to die. I place my faith in Christ, I die, the Spirit identifies me with Jesus Christ in His death on the cross, just as though I were there dying. He is dying for me, He bore our sins in His body on the tree that we might die to sin and live to righteousness, Peter wrote in I Peter 2. That's the pattern. We died, we live. So that's what he's developing here in Colossians 2.

Look at verse 20, if you have died with Christ, that's the foundation. Why do you try to live under the law? Why would you try to live under the Ten Commandments? Why would you try to live under the Mosaic Law?

Look in Colossians 3, therefore if you have been raised up with Christ. He's talked about you died with Him, now if you've been raised up with Him, keep seeking the things above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above. Why? Verse 3, for you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life. Remember Galatians 2:20? I have been crucified with Christ. Nevertheless I live, yet not I but Christ lives in me. Verse 4, when Christ who is our life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory. Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to sin. He goes on to elaborate. That is the foundational truth. There is no other way for a person to be saved because there is no other way for you to die and have the penalty of your sin paid. Because the penalty for sin includes physical death; spiritual death, separation from God; and eternal death, separation from God for eternity. Only Christ could pay the penalty, only through faith in Him is there forgiveness. That's the foundational statement here upon which everything else is built.

So you come back to II Timothy 2:11, if we died with Him we will also live with Him. Now if you talk about we will live with Him, is it our life in the future when we are glorified or our life now? Well, I don't think there is a separation in one sense. We noted in Romans 6, the fullest development we have, he's talking about the life we have now. And that was true in Galatians 2 and Colossians 2 also. Now the glorification of the body is just coming to full completion of the life we already have. We have eternal life; we have been given eternal life in Christ. That's the life we have. We were resurrected with Christ to life. Christ lives in us. It's an eternal life. It will reach its fullness when we are glorified, Romans 8:29-30. Glorification is the climax of God's work of salvation. So we will live with Him. I take it that's true now and encompasses everything because this eternal life is mine, the fullness of which is yet future. But we will also live. It's future in this context from the point when we die. Now the life we have is future from that point. And that's why Romans 6 also speaks about the life as future, even though he's talking about living it now. And ultimately the glorification will bring it to its fullness that God has planned for us.

Look at the second statement here in verse 12. If we endure we will also reign with Him. Paul picks up that word endure from verse 10, for this reason I endure all things for the sake of those who are chosen. Verse 12, if we endure. And many will. We will reign with Him. The very word endure carries the concept of afflictions, of trials, of trouble. We sometimes as Christians get the idea we ought to be able to lead trouble free lives. We're talking about endurance. But we're not just talking as we've mentioned as we've gone through this, about the normal troubles that come to everybody—believer and unbeliever. We're talking about the endurance that is necessary because you are a bold proclaimer of the gospel, because you are unashamed to be identified with Christ openly. That's the endurance we're talking about here. Paul is talking in verse 10, I endure all things even the financial difficulties we have in the Roman Empire. That's not what he's talking about. Paul has financial problems and other kinds of problems because of his association with the gospel. Those are the kinds of things he's talking about. He is in prison because of the gospel; he's not in prison because he didn't pay his taxes. He's in prison because of the gospel. That's the endurance he's talking about here.

Now it's true the Spirit of God provides the endurance and enablement for every situation in life. He's provided everything necessary for us for life and godliness. And every good and perfect gift comes down from the Father above, the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow caused by turning, James tells us. But he's talking about enduring because you are under pressure; you're going through the difficulty because of your identification with Christ, because you've not been timid or cowardly. But you have boldly told others of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

If we endure, that’s required, we will reign with Him. Characteristic of believers that they endure, that they step forward, they are identified with Christ. If anyone would be a follower of Christ he must take up his cross and follow Christ. We trivialize that statement by taking it out of context. We get a physical problem or financial problems or family problems and we say, everybody has his cross to bear. That has nothing whatsoever to do with what Jesus Christ meant when He said you must take up your cross and follow Me. He's talking about the trials, the suffering, and the persecution that will come because of your identification with Me. And we know this. That's why I started by asking, how many people have we shared the gospel with in the last week? The last two weeks? The last month? The reason we don't is fear, consequences, what will people think, how will this impact our relationship, will this create a wall between us, will this cost me in other ways.

If we endure, the example for this, come over to Hebrews 12. Paul has used himself as an example in the immediate context when he said, for this reason I endure all things for the sake of the elect. Hebrews 10 talked about endurance. Verse 36, you have need of endurance. Challenging these believers. They had suffered greatly in the past, but you know what happens. We tend to wind down. We looked at this passage in previous studies in II Timothy. People know what it is like to be arrested, to have all their possessions seized and so on. He said, you have need of endurance. You know what was happening, it gets old constantly being beat on, constantly being persecuted, never knowing what will happen next. So he's challenging them to endurance.

Hebrews 11 gives examples from the Old Testament of the faithful servants of God who had to endure. Come to verse 36, others experienced mocking, scourging, chains, imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, and they were put to death with the sword. They went about in sheepskins, goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill treated, those of whom the world was not worthy, wandering in deserts, mountains, caves, holes in the ground, wherever they could go. They had nothing. All these having gained approval for their faith. They didn't yet get what God had promised because Christ had to come and bring the fullness of it all.

So Hebrews 12 begins, therefore since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us. Those are the testimonies we have in chapter 11. It's not primarily those in heaven peeking over the clouds, seeing how we are doing, but it's primarily this cloud of witnesses that I've just shared with you, and that's not the complete list. Let us also lay aside every encumbrance. Remember the illustration in II Timothy 2; endure suffering with me as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No soldier on active duty entangles himself in the affairs of this life. Let us lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us. Let us run with, there is our word, endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith. Who for the joy set before Him endured the cross. The joy set before Him, He endured the cross. If we endure we will reign with Him. That's the joy set before us. Despising the shame. Remember; do not be ashamed of the gospel or of me, His prisoner. Christ despised the shame that came to Him, the humiliation, that He would be crucified, as the worst, vilest kind of criminal in the Roman Empire. And now He has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin. You know the rebuke to these? You are quitting too soon. How do you know? You don't know what we've gone through. You are still breathing, you haven't been executed, and you haven't shed your blood yet. That's a picture of dying. You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood and striving against sin. You know how we keep on going forward? You don't know, I've lost my job, my family doesn't speak to me, and I have no friends. I'm not talking about you don't have any friends because you're a person nobody would want to be friends with, but because of the gospel, because of Christ. You say, I've suffered a lot, I don't think you know what I've been through. I don't know what you've been through; you don't know what I've been through. But by the fact that we are both here breathing, we haven't resisted as far as God expects us to yet. So in other words, the battle is not over until we have no more breath. It's not cut short by getting old. I remind myself, that's not an excuse to stop. It's not cut short by physical problems and troubles, financial problems and troubles, whatever. Endure, keep going forward boldly with the gospel, keep going forward unashamedly in your public identification with Christ. One thing above all else everyone ought to know is there is a follower of Jesus Christ, he is absolutely convinced there is no hope apart from Jesus Christ. That's who we are. Endure, endure.

And what will happen? If we endure we will reign with Him. Come over to Revelation 5. We are in heaven in Revelation 4-5. And the host of heaven sang a new song, verse 9, it's a song sung to Christ the Lamb who has brought redemption. Worthy are you to take the book and to break its seals. For you were slain and purchased for God with your blood, men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God. Now note this, and they will reign upon the earth. We're not reigning now; we're not in the kingdom. That is foolishness. He made us a kingdom and priests, but we are not in the kingdom yet. The kingdom hasn't started.

Turn over to Revelation 20. When the kingdom does start, we will reign. You'll note where we will reign—upon the earth. We're not talking about reigning in heaven; we're talking about reigning on this earth. Revelation 20, he's talking about the thousand years here, repeated statements—verse 2, thousand years; verse 3, thousand years. The end of verse 4, there is the first resurrection. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. So in the context, the bodily resurrection of believers, the kingdom will start. Christ is present. We will reign with Christ on the earth for a thousand years. This is the first resurrection. Verse 6, blessed and holy is the one who has part in the first resurrection, over these the second death has no power. The second death is hell, that's described at the end of chapter 20. But they will be priests of God and of Christ, and will reign with Him for a thousand years.

So if we endure we will reign with Him. When? When He establishes His kingdom on this earth. And we'll reign for a thousand years. But wait, the thousand years is just the first phase of the eternal kingdom. Turn over to Revelation 22. Now we've moved beyond the thousand years, we are into what we call eternity. And in chapter 22 verse 4, here we're told we will see God's face. And there will no longer, verse 5, be any night. They will not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun because the Lord God will illumine them, and I hope you have this underlined or highlighted, and they will reign forever and ever.

If we endure we will also reign with Him. How long? A thousand years. And then what? Forever and ever. Is it worth enduring? You know Timothy has been in the ministry of the gospel for some 17-18 years. We don't know whether he has been in prison yet or not, we know he is going if he has not been there because the writer of the book of Hebrews says that Timothy has just been released from prison. He knows what it is to suffer for the gospel. Is it worth it? Well think about it. How do you measure this speck of time in our life which the Bible says is like a little vapor that appears for a time and then vanishes away? How do you measure that to eternity? I mean, the further out you go the smaller this speck becomes. In a hundred trillion years do you think I'm going to say, it was too much suffering as much as we did in that life. That little, not even a pinprick on the scope of eternity. If we endure we will reign with Him for a thousand years and forever and ever. That's why we endure. I mean, there is a future for us promised by our Lord.

Come back to II Timothy 2. The hymn is not over, the statement is not done. The next statement in verse 12, if we deny Him, He will deny us. The first two statements were positive—if we die with Him, if we endure. The next two are negative—if we deny, if we are faithless. First, if we deny Him, He will deny us. The word deny means to disown, used in the context of a place where a relationship has existed but now it is being disowned, it's being denied. These are people who have claimed a relationship with Christ, but under the pressure they deny Him. I’ve been reading some of the persecution going on in India here in the last couple of weeks on the internet. And Hindus moving through towns and cities, and Christians are given an alternative—you either deny Christ and convert to Hinduism or reconvert if you had professed to become a believer and left Hinduism, or we are going to murder you and your family. And they are in the process of doing that. Many, many believers just summarily murdered because they will not deny Christ. They have testimonies there of individuals who have gone, and there is a regular process you have to go through to reconvert or become a Hindu. One said, I had become a Christian but now I am reconverted to Hinduism because they said they would murder me and my family if I didn't. That kind of pressure we don't experience here.

This is the kind of pressure Timothy has to face because this is where Paul is. He is about to be executed because he has given testimony for Jesus Christ. And now he is told if we deny Him, He will deny us. It couldn't be any more serious, serious situation.

Come back to Matthew 13, the parable of the soils. Jesus gave the parable and He interpreted the parable so there is no misunderstanding here. We have to break into it. The Word of God is given out; the seed falls on the ground of our hearts. Some hearts are hard; the Word of God doesn't penetrate. People just walk away and the devil comes and snatches that seed away, nothing happens. Pick up with verse 20, the one on who seed was sown on the rocky places, this is where there is a thin layer of soil over rock so it's just rock underneath but a thin layer of soil. This is the man who hears the Word of God and immediately receives it with joy. Yet he has no root in himself but is temporary and when affliction or persecution arises because of the Word, immediately he falls away. That person was never saved. It was all right to become a Christian in good times, it was all right to become a Christian because I want a better marriage, I want a better life, I want to be happy and have joy. But there was no real conviction of sin from the Holy Spirit who convicts of sin, righteousness and judgment. No repentance of sin and turning in genuine faith so that the Word of God came down into the heart. So persecution, affliction because of the Word causes him to turn away. That's what we're talking about, they deny the Lord and the Lord will deny them.

II Peter 2:1 talks about those who will come in among believers and will even teach the Word. But you know they will deny the Master who bought them. They can be so ingrained in the church that they become teachers in the church. Yet they deny the Master who bought them. They are unregenerate people, Peter makes clear. Jude 4 says the same thing.

Turn to Matthew 10. We read this portion in a previous study in connection with our study in II Timothy. I want to just pick up a passage with you. This passage takes us from the first coming of Christ to the Second Coming of Christ and much of chapter 10 is dealing with what will take place in that seven-year tribulation that precedes the return of Christ in glory to establish His kingdom. But truth taught here encompasses the entire time, much of it from the first coming to the Second Coming. This is where verse 28 told us, Christ speaking, do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul. Rather fear him who is able to destroy both body and soul in hell. Look at verse 32, therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will confess Him before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny Him before My Father who is in heaven. Serious statement. We're talking about that final denial that was discussed in Matthew 7 when Jesus said when He returns there will be people who say, Lord, we did many wonderful things in serving you. And He will say to them, depart from Me cursed ones. I never knew you. I will deny them. They deny Me, I will deny them. They reveal they never belonged to Me.

What we have here is what is called the perseverance of the saints, theologically. True believers endure, they don't deny Christ. They step up and are not afraid to be identified with Him. Verse 37 reminds us, if you love father or mother more than Me you are not worthy of Me. If you love son or daughter more than Me you are not worthy of Me. He who does not take up his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. I have to become everything. You put your kids before Me, you can't be My follower; you put your parents before Me, you can't be My follower. We reveal more of ourselves when it comes to family. We realize we have elevated Jesus Christ to second place in our life. He says, no, you can't be My follower and give Me second place. I must supersede family; I must supersede your own life. You'll give your life for Me. You take up your cross and follow Me or you don't follow Me at all. There is no other way.

Turn over to Luke 9. Same context. Verse 23, if anyone wishes to come after Me he must deny himself, take up his cross and follow Me. Whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it. Christ claims absolute allegiance. If you deny Me to save your own life, you've lost it all. Now we don't get saved by doing these things, but those who have truly come to trust Christ, they will live out the life that Christ gives them. Look at verse 25, what does a man profit if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. This is an awesome statement. When He comes in glory and judgment takes place, it will be I never knew you, if you were ashamed of Me.

Any wonder Paul is telling Timothy, do not be ashamed of the gospel? Why would you tell Timothy that? Because the race is not over, it's not done until it is done. It's not, I've paid my price, I've paid my dues, I've been faithful, it's time for someone else to pick it up. Listen, you never do become lord of your life, He is Lord. He tells me when it's done. And I'll know because I will be transported to His presence until every breath of mine is His. I don't have the right to pull back, become a little more timid, a little more ashamed, and a little less bold. I referred to Polycarp, the 86-year-old martyr. Eighty-six, that's not an excuse to say it's all right for me to retire. No, he has to go and be burned at the stake for his testimony because he had breath left. That's what Christ is talking about, if you deny Me, I will deny you. That will be it. That's it.

Come back to II Timothy 2, we have one more statement to pick up quickly. If we are faithless. We're thinking about Peter, aren’t we? He denied Christ three times. Well, I'm glad the last statement is here. If we are faithless, you would think the next one is He'll be unfaithful. No. If we are faithless, He remains faithful. We're not saying that believers live perfect lives, believers never stumble. In fact James 3:2 says, we all stumble in many ways. Peter denies the Lord three times that night. So you know what the response of Peter was—repentance, grief, sorrow and great boldness for Jesus Christ. He stumbled, but he didn't fall. He was faithless, but God remains faithful, Christ remains faithful. He cannot deny Himself; He cannot do that which is contrary to His character. He is committed to those who are truly His children. And even when they stumble He is faithful to be sure we don't fall. That's why genuine believers endure, by the grace of God we do. He is faithful, He cannot deny Himself.

Listen to I Corinthians 1:9, God is faithful through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. In II Thessalonians 5:24, faithful is He who calls you and He will also do it. Philippians 1:6 puts it this way, He who has begun a good work in you will continue to bring it to perfection until the day of Christ Jesus.

So it's not to cast a cloud of gloom over us, what if I'm not saved, am I really saved. It is a stern reminder, Timothy, you can't deny Christ. If you are truly a believer in Him, Timothy, you can't go back. That will be true after Paul is executed. Timothy can't now go down a different path. He can't just be on the path because Paul was there. You understand, Timothy, we have a faithful God. He is true to His own character and we stumble as His people, but He never changes His faithfulness to us.

That's a summary that ought to challenge us to endurance, to boldness. We start out with the life we have in Christ. We have died with Him, we will live with Him, and it’s His life we are talking about, being lived in and through us. It's a life characterized by endurance as those destined to reign with Him, and those who endure will reign. Those who don't endure, but deny, they will be denied by Christ. There will be a sifting out going on. Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, I did all these things. I never knew you. We can't deny Him, we have to be faithful to Him, and it takes a true change of heart that will result in a change of life for a believer. It saddens me to hear parents say, I know my kids are not walking with the Lord but I know they are saved. You know, we deny everything we came to believe when we say stuff like that. We put our children above what the Word of the Lord says, our grandkids. I know they're saved, but they're not walking with the Lord. How do you know they are saved? If any man be in Christ he is a new creation. Old things have passed away, new things have come. The last thing I want to do is give false security. I want them to know that the salvation we're talking about changes you in every way; it gives you the ability to endure because it is God's ability in you.

I want to ask again, how many people have heard about Christ from you? Not that you talk generally about God or about Jesus. How many have heard the gospel? You are a sinner separated from God, you are a good person from the world's perspective but it's God's perspective that matters. He looks on your heart and He says that your heart is deceitful and desperately wicked above all things. God says He is the only one who truly knows how wicked and depraved your heart is. He says, you are a sinner, He says the penalty for your sin is separation from Him, physical death and separation for eternity in hell. That's it. Jesus Christ, His Son, came to earth. He died on the cross to pay the penalty for your sin. There is no other salvation, no other Savior. If you believe in Him you will be saved, if you do not you will be condemned for eternity. How many people hear that message from us from week to week, month to month, year to year? If they are not hearing it, you know what the testimony of scripture is—we have a spirit of timidity. It doesn't come from God. We are being ashamed of the gospel and our Savior, we're being afraid to suffer. May we take courage and do as the scripture has challenged us.

Let's pray together. Thank you, Lord, for the clarity of your Word, the simple beauty of these passages that summarize great truths that we need to take to heart. Thank you for your Spirit who has opened our blinded eyes to see and understand. Lord, may we take serious consideration of our lives, easy for us to shrink back and become timid, to find excuses not to boldly give forth the message of Christ. Lord, may we not be ashamed of the gospel, of the message of your salvation, of the Savior who loved us and died for us, and be willing to step forward, to suffer hardship for the gospel, to endure that we might reign with Him. And Lord we thank you that you are faithful even when we are unfaithful, even when we stumble. We praise you in Christ's name, amen.